The field of the invention generally pertains to magazine holders and carriers. The invention relates more particularly to a spare magazine carrier for securing ammunition magazines on a user's person by means of a flap capable of retracting down and away from a pocket opening when released from a secured position. In this manner, the user can quickly, easily, and unobstructedly access one or more ammunition magazines seated therein for rapid reloading of a firearm.
With the evolution of 20.sup.th Century small arms weaponry came the ammunition magazine pre-loaded with multiple ammunition cartridges, and the corresponding need to carry extra ammunition magazines in order to reload a firearm. Consequently, various magazine holders and carriers mounted on the user's person were developed to provide a convenient means for transporting and making available one or more spare ammunition magazines. Magazine carriers function to secure magazines in their place and protect them against damage, malfunction, and/or loss, especially during the rigorous conditions commonly encountered in combat by law enforcement and military personnel.
Moreover, because spare magazines are oftentimes utilized during extreme life-threatening combat situations, magazine carriers must allow rapid and easy access to a full magazine for reloading and resuming fire with minimal delay. In particular, it is often critical for magazine carriers to enable the release, access, and acquisition of a spare magazine with the non-firing free hand, while maintaining a grip on the firearm with the firing hand. For this reason, magazine carriers are typically mounted or fastened on a belt, vest, or other garment worn by the user, where it is within easy reach of the user's free hand. Failure to quickly reload a full magazine while engaged in a gun battle can mean serious injury, capture, and/or death.
One common example of a spare magazine carrier incorporates a top flap which folds down and over an exposed upper portion of a magazine seated within a pouch, much like a button down shirt pocket. Typically, the top flap has one end attached to the back of a pocket or pouch, and a free end which folds down and over a seated magazine and fastens to a front side of the pouch by a detachable snap fastener. The snap fastener has a male (or female) portion on the free end of the top flap, and a corresponding female (or male) portion attached to the front side of the pouch.
Perhaps the greatest problem with the top flap magazine carrier, however, is the numerous movements required to access a spare magazine contained therein. Typically this requires five distinct movements which must be independently executed by the non-firing free hand. First, the user must unfasten the flap from the front portion of the pouch. Second, the user must then raise the flap up to clear the exit path. Third, the user must hold the flap up and out of the way. Fourth, the user then grasps the magazine. And finally, the user withdraws the magazine from the carrier and commences reloading of the firearm. While this design provides sufficient security against loss, it can effectively hinder the rapid access and deployment of magazines for quick reloading of a weapon. Moreover, in addition to the delay caused by the number of movements involved, the interfering presence of the flap in the exit path of the magazine in steps three and four can also sufficiently hinder access to the magazine which can cause mishandling and loss of the magazine.
Additionally, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,582, a load bearing vest is shown having pouches 140 with corresponding flaps 148 which utilize a drawstring 162 to lift and hold the flaps up and away from the pouch while accessing an ammunition magazine seated in the pouch. The problem with this design, however, is that while it eliminates step three in the five step procedure discussed above, the operation of the pouch still requires lifting of the flap, i.e. step two above, by pulling the drawstring. Further, and perhaps more importantly, the flap still obstructs access to the magazine because it is still essentially a top flap magazine carrier as described above. Consequently, even when pulled open using a drawstring 162 , the flap still remains in the exit path of the spare magazine. Under high stress and demanding situations common during combat, the presence of even a fully retracted flap may interfere and hinder the deployment of the fresh magazine, and thereby jeopardize the safety of the user.
In a third common magazine carrier design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,093, the top flap is eliminated altogether which obviates the obstruction problem caused by a top flap, and thus facilitates speedy access. The magazine pouch in the 093 patent utilizes a tensioning bolt 22 to friction fit a spare magazine in a main body portion 10. However, retention of magazines by friction fit can be unreliable, especially in rigorous combat situations. Intense physical movement and activity during combat can cause dislodging and loss of the magazine, which would otherwise have been retained by a protective flap or other catch mechanism. In this arrangement, therefore, security is sacrificed for speed and the magazine is always susceptible to damage or loss.
In summary, there is a need for a spare magazine carrier mountable on a user's person which is capable of securely retaining at least one spare ammunition magazine, and providing simple, immediate, and unobstructed access to the at least one spare ammunition magazine when needed. In particular, while a flap is preferably used to properly retain a spare magazine, it would be advantageous to remove the flap completely away from an access/exit path of the spare magazine when access is desired.